An afternoon round
The Two-Man Scramble Is the Unsung Hero of a Golf Trip
On a golf trip with 36 holes in a day, I'd make the second round a two-man scramble. Everyone has had a morning with their own ball. After lunch, I want a partner to work out the next shot with.
A scramble gives you plenty to discuss. Say your drive is twenty yards past your partner's, but it's sitting down in the rough. His is in the fairway with a full shot into the green. You both walk over to yours, have a look at the lie, then decide whether the extra distance is worth it. The longer hitter doesn't get the final say just because his ball went farther.
You make that choice together, then both have a go from the spot you've picked. It's a different sort of partner golf from best ball, where you're each playing your own ball and comparing scores at the end of the hole. In a scramble, you're involved in the same shot all the way around.
The basic format is simple: both players tee off, choose one of the shots, then both play from the selected position under the agreed placement rules. Keep choosing a shot and playing from there until the ball is holed. The pair records one score. That's the format described in the R&A's scramble guidance.
Two players is enough
A four-man scramble gives you plenty of chances to find a good shot. With two, there's more responsibility on each attempt. If your partner misses a ten-footer, you get the benefit of seeing it roll, but you're also the last chance to hole it. There aren't another two players waiting behind you.
A good shot from either player can matter immediately. You don't have to be the longer hitter to supply the chip or putt that wins a hole.
I'd put different partners together from the morning round. Spend the afternoon working with someone else on your team. You'll get a fairly good idea of how he likes to play when you're choosing a line together and discovering that your preferred wedge shot is one he'd rather avoid.
Keep the afternoon in the competition
I'd play one pair against another in match play, with a cup point available for the result. The scramble deserves the same place in the standings as the morning match.
There is room for a more ambitious shot once your partner has put one in a useful position. That doesn't mean you have to attack every flag. Sometimes the better choice is to try to improve on a safe shot without bringing the worst trouble into play. The decision is part of the round, rather than a rule that one player always plays safe and the other always swings harder.
Before the trip, settle how balls will be placed at the selected spot, whether you require tee shots from both players, and how handicaps will work. Put those details with the matches so the first group doesn't decide on one version and the last group plays another.
Give the last morning group a proper break for lunch before the afternoon tee times. A scramble is still another eighteen holes, and everyone needs time between rounds. I'd book it for Saturday afternoon, with singles to come on Sunday.
The four-round Ryder Cup guide shows the full schedule and cup totals. For more on the weekend around the golf, read why we keep planning Ryder Cup trips.
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